CPI Announces New Project for Solid-Dosage Medicine Formulation

CPI and the University of Strathclyde, in a strategic partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca, announced a new project, Grand Challenge 1, which will develop a continuous direct compression (CDC) platform, at the new Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Scotland. The project will focus on the formulation of oral-solid-dosage medicines, according to an Oct. 9, 2019 press release. 

The goal of the new project is to develop a digitally twinned CDC platform and workflow, which will allow scientists to understand and optimize their formulation process in a digital space, thus reducing the amount of starting materials needed and the overall cost of the technology for the end-user. According to the release, the first step of the project involves creating a flexible plug-and-play development platform that will involve adjusting and remodelling current CDCs and integrating process analytical technology into the platform.

“The key innovation of a digital twin for the direct compression platform will radically cut down the amount of material needed to optimize formulations,” said Professor Alastair Florence, University of Strathclyde, in the press release. “It will allow companies to model their processes in digital space, providing a much deeper understanding of how APIs and excipients will perform, leading to a reduction in development times.”

The project will be funded by UK Research and Innovation and the Scottish Enterprise. 

“The strength of the open collaboration between CPI, GSK, AstraZeneca, and University of Strathclyde cannot be overstated; we are happy to be providing our strategic and technical support,” said Dave Tudor, managing director of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre at CPI, in the press release. “The flexible platform developed at the center through Grand Challenge 1 will be a national asset, helping pharmaceutical companies to develop formulations faster and at reduced cost.”

Source: CPI